


A Tiny Core of Stillness

by Brightest_Moonstone



Series: With time and silence [1]
Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Includes Art, Klaww gang!Sly AU, Mind Control, Sly 2 AU, Tranquilita
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-17 15:17:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11854266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightest_Moonstone/pseuds/Brightest_Moonstone
Summary: Working undercover as part of the Klaww Gang Sly discovers that the Contessa has captured Carmelita. He bargains for her release but when she is returned to him, she is not the Carmelita he knows.





	1. Nothing left to save

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mayurei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayurei/gifts), [Venomoushana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venomoushana/gifts).



> For my partners in crime, this fic would not have been written without your inspiration.

_“There is nothing to save, now all is lost,_  
_but a tiny core of stillness in the heart_  
_like the eye of a violet.”_  
-D.H Lawrence

 

Having been bundled out of India when Carmelita had started arresting people Sly was left cooling his heels in Prague. Waiting for word.

“Sly!” Bentley’s panicked voice through the satellite phone had never sounded so welcome.

“Hey pal, how did it go?”

“Well I have good news… and I have bad news.”

“Okay good news first, hit me.”

“We did manage to grab one half of the Clockwerk heart in the confusion.”

“Half?” Sly echoed.

“And that brings me to the bad news. Interpol has the other half.”

“Carmelita?” Sly smirked, “that’s not so bad we can…”

“Uhh not Carmelita,” Bentley interrupted. “That brings me to my second lot of bad news. You remember that new partner of hers?”

“Neyla?” Sly asked.

“Yeah, she said Carmelita was crooked and handed her over to the Contessa, but as far as I can tell Inspector Fox hasn’t been entered into the prison.”

“So she’s here?” Sly began to pace. “Why would her partner frame her?”

“Well near as I can tell Carmelita must be there. As for the set up, I suspect her new partner wanted credit for Rajan’s arrest.”

“That’s cold.” Sly muttered. “Okay Bentley, I gotta go. I’ll update you when I find the Clockwerk eyes.” And when he found Carmelita, “be safe pal.”

“You too.”

“Hey when am I not?”

“You don’t want me to answer that question.” Bentley said dryly.

Sly terminated the call he grabbed his notes. He had a plan.

 

He found the Contessa in her office. Sly knocked,

“Ah Mister Cooper come in.”

“I’ve found some more information on the Clockwerk eyes for you.” He said putting the papers on her desk. “And uh a little birdie told me, you have a very special guest.”

The Contessa picked up the notes, “ah those useless, gossiping guards.” She sighed. “Yes Inspector Fox is currently in the re-education tower.”

Sly felt his heart sink, “wow how did that happen?” He asked, fighting to keep his tone light.

“When she was shutting down that fool Rajan’s spice operation her power hungry partner suggested the good Inspector was affiliated with the Klaww. She was getting far too close so I jumped at the chance to get her out of the way.”

“Wow.” Sly said slinging himself into one of the Contessa’s chairs. “You know Inspector Fox has been chasing me for years.”

“Yes I understand you two are acquainted, didn’t you dance with her at Rajan’s?”

“Anything to get under her skin.” He leant forward, “which brings me to why I’m here. I have a request.”

The Contessa looked up from the notes he’d given her, “oh?”

“When the Klaww Gang were dividing up the Clockwerk parts I didn’t ask for anything.”

“You did not. From a psychological point of view I assumed you were reluctant to carry around a piece of the being which had murdered your family.”

“…uhh yeah,” Sly agreed. “What I was offered in lieu of parts was a favour and I’d like to call it in now. Give me Carmelita.”

“Hmm…” the Contessa tapped her chin. “I suppose it is the least we can do for our resident expert on Clockwerk. Very well I’ll have her cleaned up and one of the guards will bring her to you.”

Sly got to his feet, dipping his cap. “A pleasure doing business with you.”

Outside, once safe from the sights of the Contessa and her spying guards Sly let out a full body shudder of revulsion that left his fur standing on end. He hoped Carmelita was safe.

* * *

Sly missed his gang, at times like this, they were great at getting him out of his own head. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to get back on the satellite phone and talk to the guys but he couldn’t risk contact again so soon. He was already gambling a lot by asking for Carmelita, he didn’t want to blow his cover by being caught on the phone to the gang he had supposedly split from.

The afternoon shadows began to lengthen into evening and Sly was all but climbing the walls, what had the Contessa done to Carmelita that it was taking this long to hand her over?

Finally, eventually there was a heavy knock on the door and one of the Contessa’s Shadow Guard shoved Carmelita into the room and then left without a word.

“Carmelita.” Sly gasped, shaky with relief. “Are you okay?” She looked all right but strangely subdued, head bowed and hands tied. As quickly as he could he freed her. “Are you hurt?” He ran his hands down her arms, checking for injuries.

“Cooper?” She sounded so distant, so unlike herself.

“Yep, your favourite quarry right here. Now we’re going to get you out of here. I think you’re going to like this plan. I can get you as far as the woods, then you’re going to hit me in the head andmpfph…”

The world shrank to ten burning points of contact where she cradled his jaw and then the amazing, unbelievable feeling of her mouth on his as she stepped forward and kissed him. Sly pulled away, something… something didn’t feel right.

“Carmelita?” And he met her eyes for the first time. She was completely blank, the lights were on but no one was home. A terrible surge of panic shot through him, then anger. What had the Contessa done? How dare she?!

“What did she do to you?” Sly whispered, his fingers under Carmelita’s chin tilting her face up. Looking, looking, desperate for some spark, some indications that the fiery woman he knew was still in there somewhere.

Carmelita just looked at him, “I don’t remember.”

Sly set his jaw, “okay new plan. First we’re going to fix this, then we’re going to get out of here.” She didn’t respond and Sly felt an overwhelming urge to break something. Maybe a few of the Contessa’s legs. He took a deep breath to steady himself, he needed to calm down. He needed to keep his cover, he needed to be very careful about this lest he lose the Clockwerk eyes and Carmelita.

First things first, he had to go see the Contessa.

* * *

“What did you do to her?” Sly asked in a tone he hoped bordered on professional curiosity rather than the black rage and disgust churning in his gut. 

“Ah you mean with Inspector Fox?”

“Yes,” Sly said, “she’s so…” Changed, different, broken. Violated. “Docile.”

“Amazing is it not? I used a combination of the Clockwerk eyes and my Mind Shuffler.”

“A Mind Shuffler? I didn’t think those existed.”

“You would be surprised what you can find on the dark web.”

“Is it permanent? I’d hate to wake up with a shock pistol in my face.”

“Oh yes, very permanent. Oh and if you are concerned about her desire for you do not be, I did not plant any suggestions merely brought forward what was already there. I thought to leave that there… for you. Think of it as a bonus.”

Sly wanted to scream.

“She was a most fascinating subject,” the Contessa said shuffling papers. “I am so glad I thought to record our sessions.”

Sly fought to keep his expression neutral. He needed to see those recordings. “Well,” he said getting to his feet. “I have taken enough of your time.”

“Good afternoon Mister Cooper, I do hope you _enjoy_ your evening.”

Sly could feel the Contessa’s smirking, oily pride following him like a miasma as he retreated to his safe house.

* * *

Three aborted attempts by Carmelita to kiss him again had had him explain to her that he’d really, really appreciate it if she didn’t do that again. 

“Not like this.” He’d pleaded. “Carmelita please, not like this.”

She hadn’t understood but she’d agreed easily enough and to Sly’s immense relief she had made no further attempts.

 

“Are you hungry?” Sly asked. “I’m not much of a cook, Murray’s way better at it than me but I grill a mean hot dog… not that we have any of those.” He muttered as he poked through the cupboards. “And Bentley? Bentley would exist entirely on protein cubes if he could.” He pitched his voice in a nasal impression of his friend, “’but Sly they contain all the essential nutrients and they’re so efficient.’” He glanced over at Carmelita sitting on the couch.

“Should I laugh?” She asked.

“Only if you think it was funny.” Sly said trying and not quite succeeding in smiling at her. “Are you hungry?” He asked again.

“Yes.”

“Okay then let’s get some dinner happening.”

“What’s your favourite thing to eat?” Sly asked as they picked over passable plates of pasta putanesca.

“Tarta de Santiago.”

“Spanish almond cakes?” 

“Yes.”

Sly rested his chin on his hand, “I had almond cake at the festival in Pamplona once. I see why you like them so much.” He wished he could be having this conversation with his Carmelita, the one who yelled at him and ignored his attempts to flirt. Heck, he even missed her pointing her shock pistol at him. “What’s your favourite take out?”

“Mapo dofu, extra spicy… from the Szechuan place on the corner.” She recited.

“I love Chinese food, best I ever had was from a restaurant in this tiny little village at the foot of the mountains near the Panda King’s province. I’ll take you there one day, and when we get back to Paris we should get take out from your Szechuan place.”

“If that’s what you want.”

Sly sighed, “What I want is for you to be yourself again.”

She cocked her head, “I don’t understand.”

“That’s okay. I know.” He came around the table, kneeling in front of her, he took her hands in both his own. “I’m going to fix this Carmelita, I’m going to undo what she did to you and then we’re going to find the Clockwerk eyes and get out of here. And if you can hold off on arresting me for five minutes, maybe we could go somewhere together.” He ran his thumbs across the backs of her hands. “Where should we go? Some place romantic, not Paris everyone goes there. Not Venice either too much water… it’s not romantic, it’s hazardous is what it is. How about Bruges in Belgium? It’s lovely there, like something out of an old story and it’s so quiet not even I could find anything to steal…”

“Sân Fíodora.”

Sly stopped as he realised Carmelita had answered him, “uhh… sure where’s that?”

“Spain.”

“Why there?”

“It’s romantic.”

Sly dropped his head to kiss her fingers, “okay it’s a date. Well at least it will be after I fix this and you can agree properly.” He knelt there for a moment, bowed head resting on her knees seeking comfort in her. Carmelita placed a hand on his hair and the two of them stayed like that for a little while, still and silent.

* * *

Sly waited until the early hours of the night to slip across the city and scale the Contessa’s tower. He hadn’t been up here yet, only the Contessa and her Shadow Guard were allowed. His stomach turned at the sight of what looked like a medieval torture rack, had that been where Carmelita had been kept? Beside that was a long table strewn with all sorts of unsavoury looking objects and a familiar flash of red. Carmelita’s shock pistol. Sly slipped it into his pack, he hoped Carmelita would be happy to get it back. He then looked up, above the rack were the Clockwerk eyes. Oh, it would be so easy to take them and go, but he still needed the Contessa to fix Carmelita.

There was an old computer in the corner, the files he was after were probably on that.

This was all his fault, if he’d been quicker, if he’d managed to get to the Clockwerk parts before the Klaww Gang maybe none of this would have happened.

Hmph, the Contessa was too confident in her security, Sly thought to himself. The computer wasn’t even password protected. 

“C’mon, c’mon.” he muttered as the ancient operating system copied the files to his thumb drive. And then resisting the urge to smash everything in the room to pieces with his cane, he disappeared out the window and back to the safe house.

* * *

The Contessa had had Carmelita longer than he’d realised, it must have taken Bentley time to get word to him. He watched her exhausted but fighting like a demon in the first few videos as the Contessa taunted and sneered.

_“I’ll get out of here Contessa, I’ll get you.” Carmelita snarled, eyes glowing blue under the gaze of the Clockwerk eyes._

_“Yes, yes so you keep saying.” Was the Contessa’s bored response._

And then Sly heard his name,

_“If you are so determined to fight me then perhaps you would rather go with Sly Cooper?”_

_“Cooper?” Carmelita echoed her voice small, and Sly could see her going slack in the restraints._

“No.” Sly whispered.

_“Yes, he is here you know. He actually asked me to let you go.”_  
Sly couldn’t see the Contessa on the screen but he knew exactly what her expression would have been.

He saw Carmelita go terribly still,

“no…” He clenched a white-knuckle grip on the couch cushions.

_“Yes… and you would like to go wouldn’t you? Now tell me what do you want from Mister Cooper?”_

_“I want…” Carmelita began then shook her head grunting, and fighting again._

_“Now, now.” The Contessa’s back momentarily blocked the screen as she moved closer to peer at Carmelita, “just let those defences down. Go to your happy place, and stay there forever.”_

_“I won’t let you do this.” Carmelita sounded so tired._

_“If you will only tell me what you want from him, I’ll let you go. You can both leave together, wouldn’t you like that?” The Contessa said in her most even, wheedling tone._

And that must have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Carmelita went limp, head hanging forward and when she spoke, it was in that unnatural neutral tone. _“I want him to kiss me again… and this time I want him to stay.”_

_“Oh ho now that is interesting. Alright Inspector you are going to repeat after me…”_

Sly all but slammed the laptop shut, he didn’t want to see any more. No, he told himself, no he’d caused this. He needed to fix it and if there was a clue in these videos, he needed to find it. Taking a deep breath, he opened the laptop and resumed the recording.

 

Sly woke with a mouthful of Carmelita’s hair and an arm wrapped tight around her waist. He blinked confused, Carmelita had been asleep in the bed both when he had left and when he had returned. He’d been sitting on the couch watching the Contessa’s ‘sessions’ on a loop in the hopes of learning something.  
He must have fallen asleep and… Carmelita had gotten out of the bed to come and squeeze herself onto the couch with him?  
Well that made as much sense as anything else that had happened in the last few days.  
He tried to sit up and Carmelita shifted, Sly was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that she was half-naked, wearing only one of his spare shirts and her underwear. He could actually feel himself blushing like a goddamn kid.

“C’mon Cooper, you’re more mature than this.” He muttered to himself, “what would Carmelita say?”

As it turned out that was precisely the wrong mental image. All the blood in his body was currently in his face, it had to be and that was a good thing he reasoned. If the blood was in his face it couldn’t possibly be anywhere else which would make this awkward.

Squeezing his eyes shut Sly performed an inelegant roll off the couch and onto the floor. He laid there for a few moments, stretched out, hands over his face cursing his hormones.

“Sly?”

He bolted upright, “I’m here.” He said putting a hand out to her. “I’m here.”

Her thumb traced circles over the back of his hand and Sly leant against the couch. He was tired, judging from the light around the curtains it was mid-morning and he thought he’d probably fallen asleep around dawn.

“Did you sleep alright?” He asked.

“I was lonely.”

“Oh. Um… would you like me to, um… share with you?” He asked weakly. He wanted her to be happy but if she remembered this when she ‘woke up’ he didn’t want her to regret things.

“Yes.” She answered simply.

He supposed he could do that, there was nothing inherently terrible about sharing a bed. “O…okay.”

He was saved from further awkwardness by Carmelita’s stomach gurgling loudly.

Sly shot to his feet, “let’s have some breakfast.”

 

The cupboards were looking unfortunately bare so Sly made a note to get some groceries on the way back from contacting his gang. Still a risk, but he needed to talk to Bentley and Murray.

He put a bowl of oatmeal in front of Carmelita, “it’s not much but I hope you like it.”

“I like it with honey.” She said, still so calm, so unerringly neutral.

“Oh here.” Sly said putting a jar on the table, he felt ridiculously happy that he could give her something that she liked. That he could do something that might please her. “I’m going to run some errands, will you be alright here while I’m gone?”

“I could come too.”

“Stay here where it’s safe Carmelita, please? If you want a shower or anything…” He put a hasty stop to that train of thought. “You… you should do that. I won’t be gone long I promise. Would you like me to bring anything back for you?”

She tilted her head considering, “something else to wear.”

Oh, right. She’d been in the same clothes since she’d been captured in India. “Yes, yes of course I can do that.”

* * *

Something seemed off in town, the Contessa’s guards were everywhere and most of the normal buildings were empty or tightly shuttered. Perched on a rooftop near the safe house Sly frowned, well whatever was wrong he’d have to worry it that later.

 

“Sly! Oh thank God!”

Sly had to hold the phone away from his ear as Bentley yelled at him, “hey pal.”

“Sly you have got to get out of there.” Bentley sounded even more panicked than the last time they’d spoken. “Have you found the Clockwerk eyes yet?”

“Yeah, the Contessa had them up in her ‘re education tower’. Look Bentley…”

“Oh good then you need to grab them and get out.”

“No Bentley I can’t, not yet. I found Carmelita, the Contessa used the Clockwerk eyes and this thing called a ‘Mind Shuffler’ on her…”

“A Mind Shuffler? I didn’t think those existed.”

“You’d be surprised what you can find on the dark web, apparently.” Sly said bitterly. “I got the Contessa to let Carmelita go but she’s… different Bentley.” 

“What do you mean?”

“The Contessa took away her will, her emotions. I can’t go anywhere until I’ve fixed this.”

“Sly, Neyla is on her way with an army. You have to get out of there now.”

“No Bentley you don’t understand, this is my fault. I watched the Contessa’s sessions with Carmelita and Carmelita, she was fighting. Bentley, she was fighting so hard, and then the Contessa mentioned me and it was like she just crumbled and she’s… The Contessa said it’s permanent but I have to try and find someway to fix this.”

“Sly it’s too dangerous.” He could practically hear Bentley pinching the bridge of his nose. “Have you tried asking her to act like she’s not hypnotised?”

“Yeah. It didn’t work. Look pal I promise if it starts getting too hot around here we’ll fall back to the rendezvous point, with or without the Clockwerk eyes.”

“Sly…” Bentley whined.

“I gotta go pal, I’ll keep an eye out for trouble.”

“Please be careful.”

“Hey, when am I not?”

“You really don’t want me to answer that question.”

Sly laughed, “talk to you soon as I’m able Bentley.”

“We’ll be waiting.”

* * *

Arms full of bags Sly nudged open the door to the safe house. 

“Hey Carmelita I’m back.” He looked up to see one of the Contessa’s wolf guards closing Carmelita into a corner. Sly dropped the groceries, forgotten to the floor and swung his cane into his hands. “Get away from her.” He snarled.

The guard looked lazily over his shoulder at Sly, one hand resting on Carmelita’s hip. “Settle down kid… or don’t you like to share?”

Sly’s hand shook as adrenaline shot through him, “step away from her or I’ll knock your head off your shoulders and use it as a football.”

The guard gave him a sharp-toothed grin, lifting a hand to caress Carmelita’s still damp hair before turning away.

“What are you doing here?” Sly kept his cane out trying to put himself between the guard and Carmelita.

“Contessa wants a word.” The guard loped back across the room carelessly crushing scattered groceries under his feet. “Make sure you run along and see her quick, don’t go getting distracted now.”

The guard brushed past him and Sly waited until he’d stepped out onto the landing before darting forward and hooking his cane around the wolf’s neck, pulling him to the ground. “Word for you pal, if you or any of your buddies go anywhere near Carmelita again, I will break you like the statues on the bridge.

The guard sprang to his feet, teeth bared, growling. “Don’t think you got more power than you do kid.”

Sly tapped his cane and electricity crackled around its head. He levelled it at the guard. “Leave.”

The guard eyed the cane and Sly’s cold, furious face before making one final inarticulate noise and slinking away.

Sly watched until he disappeared from view. Slamming the door the door shut, he threw the latch with more force than necessary and braced himself against it, breathing deeply. 

“Are you alright?”

Sly bit back a slightly hysterical laugh, “I should be asking you that.” He turned to her, “did he hurt you?” He ran his hands down her arms as he had when she’d first been brought to him, had it only been a day? It felt like an eternity ago.

“I’m not hurt.”

“Oh thank god.” He hung his head. “Why did you let him in… weren’t you scared?”

“I wasn’t scared.”

Sly sighed, he supposed his Carmelita wouldn’t have been scared either but she also probably would have shot anyone who invaded her personal space like that in the face. His head snapped up, her shock pistol. It was still in his pack, he fished it out presenting it to her. “Here, do you remember how to use this?”

She held it numbly for a second before her hands closed expertly around it and she clipped it to her belt, “yes.”

“Good. If anyone else tries something like that and you don’t want them to, shoot them. In. The. Face.” He laid his hands on her shoulders.

“I will.” She put a hand on his chest. “You are upset.”

“I’m okay now. I was worried about you.”

She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m safe.”

He bent his head, returning the embrace and just for a second letting himself enjoy her presence, letting himself pretend everything was alright, everything was normal. 

He sighed, “I have to go talk to the Contessa.” He looked at the scattered food on the floor, “let’s clean this up and then lock the door after I leave alright?”

He felt her nod, “alright.”

* * *

“Mister Cooper,” the Contessa greeted him, her many feet skittering on the stone floor as she came around her desk. “You came.”

“Is anything wrong?” Sly leant against the doorframe, making a casual study of the head of his cane. “I have things to do.”

“Constable Neyla has been sighted, she is currently bearing down on Prague with a small army of mercenaries. I am mobilising my own militia as we speak but if you wish to leave, now would be the time.”

“I appreciate the warning. I have been intending to head to Canada.”

The Contessa snorted, “Lord knows that simpleton Bison needs all the help he can get. I can spare some men to escort you to the edge of town if you wish.”

Sly shook his head, “no need. I can make my own arrangements. I’ll be sure to call on you before I leave.” He turned away.

“Do be careful Mister Cooper,” the Contessa called after him. “It would be most unfortunate if something happened to you or your oh so precious book.”

Sly paused for a second before doubling his pace. This wasn’t good, this was the opposite of good.


	2. The Camping Trip of Feelings

Neyla’s army rolled into town, it was pandemonium. With fighter planes blacking out the sky and tanks literally everywhere Prague suddenly felt more like a warzone than a city. Getting out would be no mean feat. 

Holed up in the safe house Sly watched the Contessa’s video’s until he thought he might go mad, he broke into the tower and her offices three times looking for ways to try and help Carmelita. 

Nothing worked.

He grew used to falling asleep with an arm tight around Carmelita’s waist, and waking with a mouthful of her hair.

They spent a week like this, a strange kind of limbo and then Sly discovered that the Contessa was planning to escape. He couldn’t afford to wait anymore, he had to act fast. He also had a choice to make, he could bargain the Clockwerk eyes in the hope that the Contessa would (could?) undo what she had done to Carmelita. Or he could take the Clockwerk eyes and run, and hope, pray, search for another way to reverse this.

In any case, he had an exit strategy to plan, he and Carmelita packed up the safe house, Sly stole supplies from the Contessa’s stores and he mapped out the (hopefully) safest route through the forest to his gang.

* * *

The night came and Sly scaled the outside of the Contessa’s tower trying to ignore the planes swooping overhead and the far too close sounding explosions. He’d left Carmelita waiting, hidden below (as well as she could keep up everywhere else, she couldn’t make this climb) he hoped she’d be alright. The sound of a mortar round and the screams of the dying echoed up to him, Sly climbed faster.

The Clockwerk eyes were gone.

“No.” He whispered watching his best case scenarios evaporate before him. He spun around the room, “no please.” The Contessa must have grabbed them already, he needed to find her and fast.

“Sly.”

He heard Carmelita calling for him, he didn’t even bother with the climb down just leapt from the window, using his glider to slow his descent. He hit the ground running to Carmelita and grabbed her hand. She pointed. 

She’d seen the Contessa making her escape across one the high bridges and was now waiting as her blimp drifted lazily toward the landing.

“Contessa,” Sly yelled, squeezing Carmelita’s fingers in thanks.

The Contessa turned, “ah Mister Cooper. You are after these I assume?” She held up the Clockwerk eyes. “I knew as soon as Dimitri brought you in that you would end up betraying the Klaww, those other fools may have been taken in by you but not me.” 

“So you had me all figured out and you never said anything.” Sly said with mock hurt.

“I needed your expertise on the Clockwerk parts.”

“Look Contessa you must know how dangerous Clockwerk was and so are those eyes, they need to be destroyed.”

“Ha! Such hypocrisy. You are clearly not above getting what you wanted from the Clockwerk eyes.”

Sly’s hand tightened around Carmelita’s, “you did this to her, not me.”

“I did indeed. And do you recall that I said it was permanent?” She looked at Carmelita, “Čas na zaplacení pepře.” She snapped. Carmelita collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. “Hmph.” The Contessa sneered, “it seems I lied.”

“No.” Sly yelled trying to catch Carmelita as she fell, he put an arm around her shoulders shaking her gently. “Carmelita, Carmelita can you hear me?”

Carmelita’s eyes opened, she blinked, once, twice, first confused, lost and then angry. Sly could have cried with relief, she was back. He then felt her shock pistol butting against his nose, well he had said he’d missed it.

He could hear the Contessa laughing, “as much as I would love to stay and watch the two of you destroy each other it seems my ride is here.” She turned and sauntered away across the bridge waving a hand. “I do so hope you are prepared to face the consequences of your actions.” 

Still lying in his arms Carmelita pointed her shock pistol away from Sly and shot the Contessa between her shoulder blades. Pushing herself to her feet, she fired again and then again. The Contessa let out a terrible shriek, crumpling to the ground, Sly hooked his cane into the crook of Carmelita’s arm pulling her last shot wild.

“Carmelita stop, you’re going to kill her.”

Carmelita swung to face him and if his heart didn’t just break at the sight of her. Tears streaking down her cheeks, eyes wild and breathing ragged. “You’re right.” She panted, “you’re right. I need her alive to testify that she and Neyla are LIARS and that I’m a good cop. Do you hear that you horrible, eight legged cow? I’m a good cop.” She was shaking with adrenaline, clearly several days of having her emotions shut off was catching up with her.

Sly looked over at the Contessa, who was still faintly smoking and felt something butt against his boots. The Clockwerk eyes, snatching them up he stuffed them into his pack.  
“Carmelita we should go…” One ear twitched as he heard the distinct whistling of a projectile moving at high speed. “Get down.” He yelled diving for Carmelita, catching her round the waist he swung them onto a close rooftop as the landing exploded.

“I… thank you… NO.” Carmelita reached back they way they’d come

Sly turned. Striding through the smoke and debris was Neyla, with a gesture she directed some of her mercs to haul away the unconscious Contessa.

“Noooo…” Carmelita made a grabbing motion.

Sly pulled her down into the shadows of the roof as Neyla looked toward them, scanning the area.

“Alright men keep an eye out for that traitor Carmelita Fox, she may very well be in the company of Sly Cooper. Remember she’s a manipulative liar, don’t believe anything she says.”

Sly clamped a hand over Carmelita’s moth as she unleashed a torrent of curses, “Shhh… Shhh… ‘Lita we need to get out of here.”

She shoved his hand away, “I need to go after her, I need to clear my name.” She hissed.

“How? Your word against hers, in a city crawling with men on her payroll? How well do you think that’s going to turn out for you?”

“I have to do something.”

Sly waved a hand at the chaos around them, “right now doesn’t really strike me as the best time.”

Carmelita gripped two fistfuls of her hair, slumping forward. “You’re… you’re right. Let’s go.”

Gently Sly helped her to her feet. “I’m going to need you to cover me.”

She nodded, “I can do that.”

Sly grinned, he couldn’t help it. Carmelita was herself again and the novelty of being able to help his favourite policewoman escape from the cops was enough to have him brimming over.

“What are you smiling at?” Carmelita scowled.

“It’s just good to have you back Inspector. Hold on tight.”

Sighing Carmelita put an arm around his shoulders, adjusting her tail in counter balance and Sly jumped, hooking his cane back onto the nearest wire.

 

Even with half the city, burning behind him Sly felt better than he had in days. With the Contessa captured, her goons were bound to give up sooner rather than later and the poor besieged residents could resume their normal lives. He had the Clockwerk eyes and Carmelita, buoyed by this success he swung the two them across the city.

Pausing on a rooftop as a band of Neyla’s mercenaries roamed past they heard people cheering,

“Captain Neyla, Captain Neyla.”

“Long live the hero of Prague.”

Sly had to keep a hand on a still unstable Carmelita’s arm to keep her from flinging herself at her former partner.  
“Not yet ‘Lita, not yet.” He whispered, drawing her away from where she might be seen.

* * *

Once they were finally safely past Neyla’s perimeter, Sly contacted his gang. 

“According to Bentley and Murray all the roads are completely blocked. We’re going to have to go on foot to the secondary rendezvous point.” Sly said hooking a low hanging branch.

Carmelita ducked beneath it, “and then what?”

Sly looked back toward Prague, all smoke, fire and searchlights on the horizon. “We lay low for a little while, then I need to head to Canada.” He lifted his cap, running a hand through his hair. “My cover is probably blown sky high by now but really at this point I don’t care. I miss my gang. Y’know…” Sly said turning back to Carmelita, “you’re more than welcome to hitch a ride with us if you want.”

“As opposed to all my other options.” She rolled a hand in an all-encompassing gesture. “I still have to figure out a way to clear my name.”

“You’re more than welcome to be an honorary member of the Cooper gang until Interpol takes you back.” Sly joked.

“Dios, don’t tempt me.” 

Sly’s stomach did a peculiar flip-flop… oh that mental image. Of her as one of them was much worse than any of the hazy ideas he had conjured during their brief cohabitation. 

As much as Sly didn’t want anyone else chasing him, Carmelita was part of what made this fun after all. A Carmelita who worked with him was an interesting concept, Carmelita joking with him and the guys. Carmelita taking dumb photos with them when they completed a job, Carmelita eating pizza in her pyjamas with them in their downtime. Carmelita having his back during an escape. 

Sly shook his head so violently his ears slapped against his skull, no he’d already decided he was going to help her clear her name. As long as it didn’t involve turning himself in.

“You okay there Ringtail?”

Sly’s head bobbed as he nodded too quickly, “yeah all good.”

 

They broke for a rest around mid morning, Carmelita pulling off her boots to massage her feet.

“Do you think we have enough distance?”

“Reckon so,” Sly said passing her an apple. “Maybe Neyla’s men will pull back soon and the guys can come and meet us halfway.”

“Where is your gang meant to meet us anyway?” Carmelita asked fiddling with the stem of her apple.

Sly gestured vaguely east, “thataway.”

Carmelita raised a brow at him, “how lost are you planning on getting us Ringtail?”

“I know exactly where we’re going.” Sly said defensively. “Just trust me okay?”

He expected another jibe, some crack about his character, about the foolishness of trusting a thief. However, she just nodded quietly and didn’t press the issue further. 

Sly rested back against the trunk of the tree he’d sat in front of, closing his eyes just for a moment. It had been a long night. 

 

When the sun reached its zenith, Sly jerked awake,

“Carmelita?” He gasped in a panic, she wasn’t next to him. He scrambled for a moment, looking around frantically. Where was she?

“I’m here Ringtail.” 

He looked up, there she was kneeling by their packs. All his breath left him in a rush, she was fine, she was back to normal, she was fine.  
“Sorry,” he croaked. “I forgot.”

“How did you sleep?” She asked.

Sly felt a distinct sense of déjà vu, “fine.” 

“That’s good. Should we get moving?”

“Umm yeah.”

They shouldered their packs and Sly took the lead through the trees.

 

They made camp as the sun was beginning to set, even with their rest earlier, they were both starving and exhausted. Carmelita built up a fire and Sly broke out the food, and the two of them sat together as night fell.

“I would kill for a bath.” Carmelita muttered plucking dead leaves from her hair.

Sly passed her a canteen, “there should be a hiker’s stop along the way tomorrow.”

“Thank heaven for small mercies.” She unrolled her blankets, “what are you doing?” She asked Sly who was setting up his own.

“Umm…” Sly looked at the ground confused, “I was going… to sleep here?”

“We’ll freeze.” She said shortly. “Come over here we’ll share.”

Tentatively Sly spread his blankets out with hers,

“I should thank you.” She murmured not looking at him.

Sly froze. “What for?”

“For stopping me with the Contessa, I was just so angry I couldn’t think. And for all you did to help me in Prague.”

“Don’t thank me for that.” Sly knelt there feeling a week’s worth of guilt try to crush him. “It was… my… my fault.”

“The Contessa did that to me, not you.”

Sly got to his feet, “if I’d been quicker getting to the Clockwerk eyes, if I’d known the Contessa had you sooner. If I hadn’t worried about keeping my cover and just busted you out of there I could have prevented it from happening at all.”

“This wasn’t your fault Sly! I don’t blame you.”

He went to reach for her, to touch her but stopped himself, “I… thank you.” He said weakly sitting back down.

“You tried to help, I saw how much what the Contessa had done to me affected you.”

Sly choked, “you remember?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Everything. It was like being in a fog but I knew what was going on. I knew how I wanted to react to things too but it was like trying to hold onto running water, my emotions kept slipping away from me.” She looked down at her hands. 

“And now?” Sly asked, edging a little closer.

“Honestly my head is still kind of a mess but every hour I feel better, more stable.” She met his eyes. “And I’m glad I was with you, you were a perfect gentleman.”

Sly snorted, “gentlemen pull out chairs and hold open doors. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“In any case you kept me safe… even from myself. Thank you.”

And there it was the elephant in the proverbial room.

“You weren’t yourself… it wouldn’t have been right.” 

“I’m myself now.” She smoothed an errant curl behind her ear. “You saw the Contessa’s videos…”

Sly blanched, “you weren’t meant to see those, when did you…?” He tried to be so careful.

“That first night I was brought to you, they were playing on repeat. You’d fallen asleep…”

Sly sunk his face into his hands, “you closed the laptop.”

She nodded, tucking her knees against her chest. “You saw.” She repeated. “You know, you know how I feel. Something I wasn’t even ready to admit to myself and the Contessa just pulled it out of me.” She looked up at the stars peeking through the trees, waiting for a response but there was none forthcoming. Finally she turned to him, brows raised, “what no joke? No smartarse remark?”

Normally Sly would have loved to make a joke here, some quip about how of course Carmelita would want to kiss him again. About his animal magnetism… something, anything! _Say something_ , his brain screamed at him but all his processing ability had ground to a halt. This level of sincerity was both foreign and frightening to him. 

All he could manage was a strangled sound. 

Carmelita stood, dusting off her hands on her pants. “I’ll go get some more firewood shall I?”

Sly shot to his feet, grabbing her arm before she could go. She met his eyes, blinking in surprise.

“Sly?” 

What his face must have looked like he had no idea because she actually sounded worried.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” He managed to croak.

Carmelita smiled at him, actually smiled. “I am too.”

They both looked at his hand closed around her arm, he pulled away awkwardly. He’d gotten too accustomed to being near her, to touching her… it wasn’t his place. To his great surprise, she reached out and took his hand back, holding it gently in hers.

“I’m not very good at things like this…” She began, not quite looking at him.

You’re doing better than me, Sly wanted to say.

“And I don’t want to hold you to anything you said, while I wasn’t… but I’m not…” She let out a long breath. “Sly…” She met his gaze again and Sly was so happy to see the vibrancy, the fierceness, the intelligence of her personality in her eyes. She was looking at him like she was willing him to understand something. “I’m not chasing you right now.”

Sly blamed the week he’d had, blamed the emotional upset, blamed his lack of sleep for being as slow as he was to grasp her meaning.  
“’Lita?”

And then Carmelita Fox (not currently of Interpol) kissed him. Sly wrapped his arms around drawing her flush against him, tangling fingers in her hair more ready to devour her than kiss her. And then, and then with a monumental surge of will he broke away. 

Resting his forehead against hers, he panted with the effort, it took him to form a coherent sentence. “Are you... are you sure about this?”

“I’ve had a week to think about it.” She confirmed.

Sly groaned, the sound going guttural and he kissed her. As he had wanted to all those mornings, he had woken beside her. As he had wanted when he’d sought her comfort, as he had wanted to since, she had first kissed him back in their safe house. And warmly, willingly, wonderfully Carmelita kissed him back.

 

Later, lying curled together beneath their shared blankets Carmelita said,  
“Sân Fíodora was my grandparents’ village. It’s hardly ever on any maps, just a tiny place on the coast.”

Sly stirred, remembering their conversation about going somewhere romantic.

“My mother grew up there though, my father proposed to her there on a cliff overlooking the sea and they married in the local church. It’s my favourite place in the world.”

“When all this over we’ll go there. You can chase me over the cliffs, we can exchange banter in front of the church. You can threaten to arrest me in the town square.”

A truce, Carmelita had called it. An alliance until her name was cleared and the Clockwerk parts were destroyed and then it would be back to business as usual. Sly could live with that.

“It’s a date.” Carmelita said sleepily cuddling against him.

Yes, Sly thought to himself, he could definitely live with this.

* * *

Bentley and Murray were certainly surprised to say the least, when Sly showed up with Carmelita in tow. However, a bag of jellybeans bought her Murray’s eternal loyalty and after Sly had reasoned with a worried Bentley, even he had agreed Carmelita would be a useful asset in getting the next set of Clockwerk parts from Jean Bison.

 

“Are you sure about this Sly?” Bentley asked for what was probably the fifteenth time.

“I’ve had a week to think about,” Sly grinned to himself, watching Carmelita help Murray load the van. “Look Bentley, she and I talked about this,” among other things they’d done. “It’ll be fine.”

Bentley went back to arranging their passage to Canada, “if you’re sure.”

“Sure am.”

“Hey Sly?”

“Yeah pal?” Sly tore his gaze away from the mesmerising flick of Carmelita’s tail.

“It’s good to have you back.”

“Good to be back pal, good to be back.” Sly gripped his friend’s shoulder. “I missed you guys.”

“Hey Bentley,” Murray called. “Have you seen my snow chains?”

Jumping up from his seat Bentley trotted across the room, “have you looked in the case under the seats?”

Sly caught Carmelita’s eye and grinned, she rolled her eyes but returned the smile. He stretched languidly and stood, crossing to join her.

Watching from the van Murray leaned down to Bentley and whispered, “ten bucks says Sly kisses her before we even get to Canada.”

Bentley snorted, “I’ll take that action and raise you double. If he kisses her at all Carmelita will shoot him, for back when he kissed her in Russia.”

Murray held out a hand and Bentley slapped him a high five, “it’s a bet.”

* * *

Watching the Northern Lights dance on the horizon, Sly laced his fingers through a sleeping Carmelita’s. And gently nudged a snoring Bentley so his head flopped against Murray’s side. Sly couldn’t help but feel content, this was where he belonged. Even with the job, looming before them there was nothing they couldn’t handle together.

They were going to reclaim the Clockwerk parts, he was going to help Carmelita clear her name. The Cooper gang was back together, nothing could stop them now.

**Author's Note:**

> The incomparable Mayurei has drawn some gorgeous heart-rending art
> 
> [Here](https://mayurei.tumblr.com/post/165248274614/artwork-for-a-tiny-core-of-stillness-by)


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